Existing cellular mobile telecommunication systems serve terrestrial (i.e., ground-based) personal wireless subscriber devices. For discussion purposes, these devices are also referred to as personal electronic devices (PEDs), and include mobile (cellular and PCS) telephones, personal digital assistants, wireless email devices, wireless equipped laptop computers, and personal computers. Since the cellular mobile telecommunication systems are terrestrial-based, they are not readily extendable to non-terrestrial applications due to signal interference problems between ground-based and non-terrestrial personal wireless subscriber devices. Moreover, tower antennas supporting the terrestrial-based system are often pointed down to improve performance.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,113,780 assigned to Aircell, Inc. discloses an aircraft-based network for wireless subscriber devices that provides wireless telecommunication services in the aircraft for both terrestrial and non-terrestrial regions. In particular, an air-to-ground network and a ground-based cellular communications network are spoofed into thinking that the wireless subscriber devices have no special considerations associated with their operation, even though the wireless subscriber devices are located on an aircraft in flight. This requires a non-terrestrial feature transparency system on-board the aircraft to replicate the full functionality of a given wireless subscriber device, which has a certain predetermined feature set from a ground-based wireless service provider, at another wireless subscriber device located within the aircraft. This mirroring of wireless subscriber device attributes enables a localized cell for in-cabin communications yet retains the same wireless subscriber device attributes for the air-to-ground link.
Another aircraft-based network for wireless subscriber devices that provided wireless telecommunication services in an aircraft for both terrestrial and non-terrestrial regions was introduced by Boeing, and was referred to as Connexion by Boeing℠. Connexion by Boeing℠ is no longer in service due to its failure to attract sufficient customers, but at the time, provided an in-flight online connectivity service. This service allowed travelers to access a satellite-based high-speed Internet connection for an hourly or flat rate fee while in flight through a wired Ethernet or a wireless 802.11 Wi-Fi connection. The infrastructure used a phased array antenna or a mechanically steered Ku-band antenna on the aircraft, a satellite link to and from the aircraft, leased satellite transponders, and ground stations.
Even in view of the advances made to aircraft communications systems allowing passengers to operate wireless portable handheld devices while airborne, there is still a need to improve upon this service.